Crowns of Egypt

Crowns of Egypt, part of the sovereign regalia of the kings of ancient Egypt. The crown of Upper Egypt was white and cone-shaped, while that of Lower Egypt was red and flat, with a rising projection in back and a spiral curl in front. Physical examples of these crowns remain elusive, so the materials from which they were made have not been conclusively determined. Often these two crowns were combined to form the double crown, symbolizing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the divine king. Another royal emblem—the rearing uraeus serpent, placed above the brow of the king—frequently adorned these crowns.

(Left) the crown of Lower Egypt and (right) the crown of Upper Egypt, both worn by King Sesostris III, relief on door lintels at Madāmūd; in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.Hirmer Fotoarchiv, Munich